COLUMBO CRIES WOLF is my least favourite Columbo to date. It's one of the more modern offerings that feels strained, thanks to efforts to distance it away from the usual set-up and layout of a typical Columbo movie. In this one, we don't actually see a murder at the beginning, just a disappearance, so this has the unusual aspect of watching the detective investigating a crime that he doesn't even know was committed.
It has potential, for sure, but that's wasted away in an increasingly convoluted narrative that becomes ridiculous by the climax. Falk does his best with the material, and there are a few funny and goofy moments (typically involving his embarrassment at being surrounded by nubile young women in their bathing suits) but it's a far cry from the classic episodes of the long-running series. The supporting cast are also very hammy, particularly the grinning Ian Buchanan, although it's fun to see familiar faces like Alan Scarfe (DOUBLE IMPACT) and Mark Margolis (REQUIEM FOR A DREAM).
It has potential, for sure, but that's wasted away in an increasingly convoluted narrative that becomes ridiculous by the climax. Falk does his best with the material, and there are a few funny and goofy moments (typically involving his embarrassment at being surrounded by nubile young women in their bathing suits) but it's a far cry from the classic episodes of the long-running series. The supporting cast are also very hammy, particularly the grinning Ian Buchanan, although it's fun to see familiar faces like Alan Scarfe (DOUBLE IMPACT) and Mark Margolis (REQUIEM FOR A DREAM).